ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando city commissioners approved the first reading on a proposed extension of a six-month moratorium on new nightclubs downtown on Monday.
The current moratorium runs through September, and if approved the mortarium would go through March of next year.
Orlando Commissioner Regina Hill said the 6-month extension would extend the pause on the expansion of nightclubs downtown as the city works to find best practices from around the country while maintaining safety for everyone.
“What we’re trying to do is gather more data to see what’s working and see what we can improve on,” said Hill. “We’re just trying to find the perfect blend for all.”
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Orlando city commissioners approved the ordinance and safety changes earlier this year after a shooting near Wall Street and Orange Avenue back in July that police say hurt seven people.
Monica McCown, vice president of the Orlando Hospitality Alliance, said the larger issue though is that the new ordinance has put a strain on some downtown bar and club owners who now have to help cover the costs of extra duty police officers after midnight to patrol the streets on the weekends.
“The largest nightclubs are paying about $1,500 a night on the weekends, per night. So, the highest we can be getting charged is $4,500 a week,” said McCown. “We’ve seen a little bit of drop in traffic inside our establishments over the last couple of months since the new ordinance has gone into effect.”
McCown said businesses were already seeing little to no crime inside their venues. She said most of the crime happens in the streets of downtown, not inside establishments.
The second and final reading on the 6-month moratorium extension is set for Aug. 14.
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